Category: * Stars 4.1 – 5.0

Restaurant: #2666: Hokkaido Ramen Santouka – Shio Tonkotsu – Bellevue, Washington

Restaurant: #2666: Hokkaido Ramen Santouka - Shio Tonkotsu - Bellevue, Washington

I’ve been asked many, many times to go try restaurant ramen by my readers. Well, Merry Christmas! As Gurney Halleck once said in the novel Dune, “Behold, as a wild ass in the desert, go I forth to my work.” ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2663: Alhami Instant Noodle Soto Flavor

Meet The Manufacturer: #2663: Alhami Instant Noodle Soto Flavor

I reviewed a Maitri Soto variety earlier in this series, and since Jonathan at Waroeng Jajanan gave me some Soto Betawi, I thought I ought to review the non-vegetarian version to take advantage of the niceties therein. Here’s a little about Soto from Wikipedia – ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2661: Maitri Vegetarian Mie Goreng

Meet The Manufacturer: #2661: Maitri Vegetarian Fried Noodles

Maitri is Olagafood’s vegetarian product line. So far, I’ve been pretty impressed; the flavors are quite good and it’s been a lot of fun reviewing them. This one is a vegetarian mie goreng – here’s a little about mie goreng from Wikipedia – ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2657: Maitri Vegetarian Extra Hot Mie Goreng

Meet The Manufacturer: #2657: Maitri Vegetarian Extra Hot Fried Noodle - Olagafood - The Ramen Rater - Indonesia

Well hello there – extra hot! I like it spicy that’s for sure. Not a lot of varieties I’ve seen that are extra hot and also vegetarian. At least not having both variables mentioned on the packaging. I think this is interesting. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2656: Mikka Noodle Snack Roasted Corn Flavour

Meet The Manufacturer: #2556: Mikka Noodle Snack Roasted Corn Flavour

Whenever I see the word ‘corn’ on anything Southeast Asia, I always think of when I was at the airport in Penang, Malaysia. There was a little snack stall in there and it mentioned ‘corn in a cup.’ I thought this was the most fantastic thing; what could that possibly be? Our host looked at me like I was high and said plainly ‘it’s corn – in a cup.’ ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2652: Maitri Vegetarian Rasa Soto

Meet The Manufacturer: #2652: Maitri Vegetarian Rasa Soto - Indonesia - The Ramen Rater

Another line from Olagafood is Maitri. All of these are vegetarian. Today we have some soto – let’s hit up Wikipedia about it – ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #2651: Alhami Mi Instan Mi Goreng Spesial

Meet The Manufacturer: #2651: Alhami Mi Instan Mi Goreng Spesial Special Fried Noodles - Indonesia - The Ramen Rater - instant ramen noodles

Today we get this Meet The Manufacturer series started! It’s been a long time since doing one with an Indonesian company – in fact, I rarely get any new Indonesian varieties across my desk. We start with one of the most recognized dishes from Indonesia, Mi Goreng. Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2650: Paldo Flaming Hot Savoury Cheese Noodle

#2650: Paldo Flaming Hot Savoury Cheese Noodle - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - ramyun

Well, the little cheese guy has gone from a place of meekness to one of anger. Let me show you.

#2650: Paldo Flaming Hot Savoury Cheese Noodle - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - ramyun ...see full post

#2645: Happy Noodle Noodles With Minced Pork & Chinese Mustard Blend

#2645: Happy Noodle Noodles With Minced Pork & Chinese Mustard Blend - Taiwan 0 The Ramen Rater

Alright, so here we go! I’ve been curious about these since they showed up in the mail.

The box is interesting – kind of looks like a tissue box in a way but definitely nothing like that inside. There are four packages inside and they are accompanied by four sachets. Let’s take a look at this unique variety from Taiwan! ...see full post

#2644: Ottogi Budae Jjigae Ramen

#2644: Ottogi Budae Jjigae Ramen - South Korea - The Ramen Rater

The first time I’d heard about Budae Jigae instant noodles was when I read an article in my nes feed about this brand making one. So what is budae jjigae? Let’s have a look at this from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2643: KOKA Creamy Soup With Crushed Noodles Vegetable Flavour

#2643: KOKA Creamy Soup With Crushed Noodles Vegetable Flavour - Singapore - The Ramen Rater

Today, it’s yet another of the KOKA varieties leftover from the Meet The Manufacturer from earlier this year! I must say that the fact that instant noodle products have long shelf lives is really a nice thing! ...see full post

#2649: Myojo Mee Poh Dry Instant Noodles

#2649: Myojo Mee Pok Dry Instant Noodles - Singapore - The Ramen Rater

The package says ‘yummy just got yummier.’ I can’t argue with that; I like yummy and more yummy is a paramount concern. Indeed, the proliferation of yummy is something that should be on everyone’s agenda. I mean, who doesn’t like yummy; the term passing through the mouth evokes a feeling of childhood giddiness and reckless abandon for anything else that’s a concern of the day. It’s a pure admission of surrender to the palate. ...see full post

#2637: Samyang Foods Jjajang Big Bowl

#2637: Samyang Foods Jjajang Big Bowl - South Korea - The Ramen Rater

I’ve tried the pack version of this and it was some of the best I’ve had. I really like that the South Korean companies have now adopted the wider thick noodle in a lot of products. These have a little extra character and are very good. So Jjajang usually begins the word jjajangmyeon – basically a noodle with black bean sauce. Let’s see how the bowl version of this product fares. ...see full post

#2634: Samyang Foods Ramen Bokki

#2534: Samyang Foods Ramen Bokki - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles ramen

Oh hey, ramen bokki! So this is a fusion of two foods: South Korean ramyun and one of the words I would say I’ve seen spelled about a zillion different ways, tteokbokki. Tteokbokki are big chewy tubes made from rice flour and they’re really good. Usually, it’s made with a spicy and sweet sauce, egg, fish cake, etc. Good stuff! So this is that but instead of with the rice tubes, you get the noodles. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#2633: Myojo Chukazanmai Premium Sour & Spicy Noodle Soup

#2633: Myojo Chukazanmai Premium Sour & Spicy Noodle Soup - Japan - The Ramen Rater - boxfromjapan.com

Here’s one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. Box From Japan is a monthly subscription service where you can get boxes of neat Japanese instant ramen or boxes of candy and they have other special ones as well! Definitely, give them a look! ...see full post

#2627: Nissin Men Shokunin Sesame Miso Ramen

#2627: Nissin Men Shokunin Sesame Miso Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - box from japan - instant noodles

Yet another from Javier over at Box From Japan. Box From Japan is a purveyor of monthly subscription boxes – ramen bowls and candy are at the forefront among other neat things – check ’em out! Today it’s a miso ramen – here’s a little something from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2625: Nissin Cup Noodles Potato Chips Tom Yam Seafood Flavour

#2538: Nissin Cup Noodles Potato Chips Tom Yam Seafood Flavour - Singapore - The Ramen Rater

So yesterday, I reviewed the Cup Noodles Tom Yam Seafood. Today, it’s the potato chip with the same flavor! Sounds good to me – I like seafood and seafood potato chips are among those things never seen in the United States. Let’s give ’em a try! ...see full post

#2624: Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Asakusa Yakisoba

#2624: Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Asakusa Yakisoba - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles ramen

Here’s one that came by way of Zenpop. Zenpop has monthly boxes of instant noodles from Japan you can get as well as a very popular line of Japanese stationary. Here’s what they have to say about this variety: ...see full post

#2618: KOKA Delight Curry Flavor Instant Non-Fried Noodles

#2535: KOKA Delight Curry Flavor Instant Non-Fried Noodles - Singapore - The Ramen Rater

Another one from the recent KOKA Meet The Manufacturer. A curry from Singapore – can’t say I’ve met one of those I didn’t like. Let’s have a look. ...see full post

#2617: Nissin Cup Noodles Laksa Flavour (Shiok! More Laksa!)

#2617: Nissin Cup Noodles Laksa Flavour (Shiok! More Laksa!) - Singapore - The Ramen Rater - instant noodle

Ahh, Laksa – nothing like it. In fact, there are lots of kinds of laksa; sweet, creamy, curry, fish – every area has their own take on the dish. Let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about laksa – ...see full post

#2615: Nissin Demae Ramen Straight Noodle Spicy Tonkotsu Flavor Instant Noodle

#2615: Nissin Demae Ramen Straight Noodle Spicy Tonkotsu Flavor Instant Noodle - Hong Kong The Ramen Rater

Today it’s tonkotsu from Hong Kong. This is part of the series that’s expanded since being in the 2017 top ten list with their black garlic oil tonkotsu.  For those of you unfamiliar, here’s a little about tonkotsu ramen from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen

#2613: Nissin Raoh Backfat Rich Shoyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here’s another one sent by Javier over at BoxFromJapan.com. Box From Japan offers subscription boxes of all sorts of neat Japanese things including candy and ramen! Check ’em out! ...see full post

#2610: Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Whole Wheat Ramen + Spicy Szechuan Broth

Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Whole Wheat Ramen + Spicy Szechuan Broth

I thought maybe a whole wheat ramen noodle might pair well with Szechuan flavors. These look really interesting and to be honest, I have a partiality to whole wheat noodles. Let’s have a look! ...see full post

#2609: Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Pad Thai Rice Noodles + Vietnamese Pho Broth

Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Pad Thai Rice Noodles + Vietnamese Pho Broth

So Pad Thai might immediately come to mind as that noodle dish with lots of thick peanutty sauce and some meat and veggies popular here in the United States. But you might not know it but pad Thai simply means Thai noodles, and they’re able to be used in anything. Today I’m going to juxtapose them with a Pho broth, broth from Nona Lim. Let’s get started. ...see full post

#2608: Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Hakata Ramen + Thai Curry & Lime Broth

NL7: Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Hakata Ramen + Thai Curry & Lime Broth

I thought it a no-brainer to pick Hakata Ramen to try with the miso. The other I’ll try with it will be the Tokyo Ramen. Anyways: Hakata Ramen. What is it, Wikipedia? ...see full post

#2606: Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Pad See Ew Rice Noodles + Spicy Szechuan Broth

Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Pad See Ew Rice Noodles + Spicy Szechuan Broth

So for this Meet The Manufacturer, things are a little different. Nona Lim makes noodles and broths, so you can mix and match them. First, we’ll start with these Pad See Ew Rice Noodles. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about Pad See Ew – ...see full post

#2605: Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Pad See Ew Rice Noodles + Vietnamese Pho Broth

Meet The Manufacturer: Nona Lim Pad See Ew Rice Noodles + Vietnamese Pho Broth

So for this Meet The Manufacturer, things are a little different. Nona Lim makes noodles and broths, so you can mix and match them. First, we’ll start with these Pad See Ew Rice Noodles. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about Pad See Ew – ...see full post

#2604: Tseng Noodles Scallion With Sichuan Pepper Flavor (Western Version)

#2604: Tseng Noodles Scallion With Sichuan Pepper Flavor (Western Version) -- Taiwan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here we have one that’s changed their packaging a bit to include instructions in English as well as mention of its place on the 2016 top ten. ...see full post

#2601: Nongshim KamjaTangMyun Potato Pork Flavor

#2601: Nongshim KamjaTangMyun Potato Pork Flavor - China - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here’s another one I found up in Canada in July of 2017. So this one isn’t made in South Korea or the United States – it’s made in China. A lot of Nogshim varieties up in Canada hail from mainland China which I discovered a few years back. I’m pretty sure I’ve reviewed a potato pork version that I got up in Canada before that was a Nongshim China product, but I know it didn’t look like this one. Anyways, let’s see how this is – bring on the noodles! ...see full post

#2600: Nissin Cup Noodle Nice Rich Pork Shoyu

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

#2600: Nissin Cup Noodle Nice Rich Pork Shoyu - カップヌードルナイス - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles ramen

I couldn’t help myself. I thought that for my 2,600th review, maybe an homage to the first video game console I’d ever played was in order. I thought the pixelated graphics could do a nice job and so here we are. So this is a new range for Nissin Cup Noodle Nice. The Cup Noodle Nice look to me a distant cousin of the Cup Noodle Light+ series – they contain non-fried noodles for starters. They have the same fiber as a ton of lettuce, lower calories, etc. If this comes out as good as the Light+ varieties did, then this should be something special. Let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about Nissin Japan – ...see full post

#2597: Nongshim Neoguri Stir-Fry Noodles Spicy Seafood

#2579: Nongshim Neoguri Stir-Fry Noodles Spicy Seafood - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - neoguri bokkeum

I have long recognized this package – except this one has a twist! These have no broth. Here’s a little from Wikipedia about Neoguri – ...see full post

#2596: Nissin Demae Ramen Straight Noodle Salt Chicken Flavour Instant Noodle

#2578: Nissin Demae Ramen Straight Noodle Salt Chicken Flavour Instant Noodle - Hong Kong - The Ramen Rater

Well this sounds like a good one! It sounds to be like a chicken shio variety. Shio is one of the classic ramen varieties from Japan. Let’s see a little more about shio from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2595: TableMark Cantonese Shouyu Ramen

#2595: TableMark Cantonese Shouyu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Zenpop

Here’s one I got from ZenPop, a company that’s producing ramen boxes in Japan. They have a new box just about every month with 9 different varieties – a pretty impressive amount! ...see full post

#2594: Samyang Foods Yulmu Bibimmyun

#2594: Samyang Foods Yulmu Bibimmyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater

Here’s a spicy one from South Korea. Not just spicy but cold, bibimmyun is a favorite in South Korea during the summer months. Usually accompanied by a bright and spicy sauce, bibimmyun brings a strong taste to the table. This variety mentions yulmu. Yulmu (also known as Job’s Tears) is used in order to make yulmu-cha, a tea enjoyed in South Korea. ...see full post

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen

#2592: Maruchan Yokozuna Tonkotsu Ramen - Japan - The Ramen Rater - Box From Japan -

Here’s one sent by Javier over at Box From Japan. At Box From Japan, you can receive boxes of instant ramen from Japan as well as different subscription boxes like Japanese candy! Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? What’s more, in the two years I’ve been reviewing these, I’ve not ever received one that I’d reviewed before! So what is this Yokosuna all about? Well, I could be wrong, but it looks like Yokozuna is an echelon attained by Japanese sumo wrestlers. The Yokozuna are the best of the best. Let’s check it out! ...see full post

#2591: Myojo Charumera Licca Chan Onion Gratin Soup Noodle

#2591: Myojo Charumera Licca Chan Onion Gratin Soup Noodle - Japan - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles ramen

Found these up in Canada at the Osaka market in Yaohan Centre.                            So I’ve seen this on instagram a few times and been wondering what the big deal is. Moreover, what is Licca? Here’s something from Wikipedia – ...see full post

#2587: Sunfeast Yippee! Noodles Magic Masala

#2587: Sunfeast Yippee! Noodles Magic Masala - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles ramen

Here’s one from a brand I’ve never tried before. I also must say that I really love exclamatory instant noodle names. Yippee! is probably about the happiest name I’ve come across. It seems that the closer to the end of the alphabet they get, the more interesting they are. Not only that, but someone on YouTube recommends I try them and there is one in my hamper, so I think hey – what better time to try? I got these at a local Indian supermarket in Bellevue, Washington. Let’s check ’em out! ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer #2586: Blount Chicken Ramen Bowl

Blount Fine Foods Meet The Manufacturer #2597: Blount Chicken Ramen Bowl - United States - The Ramen Rater

Here’s the second and final product of this Meet The Manufacturer review series of Blount Fine Foods products. So this is one you’ll find in the refrigerated section at the supermarket and looks very fancy. Indeed as I said in the last review, I really like the little cut out on the front as seen above with the steam coming off the bowl. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer #2585: Blount Thai Inspired Coconut Chicken & Noodle Bowl

Blount Fine Foods Meet The Manufacturer #2596: Blount Thai Inspired Coconut Chicken & Noodle Bowl - United States - The Ramen Rater

I’ve reviewed many fresh varieties in the past and this is a new variety from a brand I’ve never reviewed any products from before! What’s more, it’s a company in the United States. I must say that the packaging is rather striking; it’s thick cardboard and the little cut out of the bowl and steam coming out above it is really neat. ...see full post

#2584: MyKuali Penang White Curry Rice Vermicelli Soup

#2584: MyKuali Penang White Curry Rice Vermicelli Soup - Bihun Kari Putih - beehoon - The Ramen Rater - Malaysia

This is the third of the rice vermicelli (bihun) varieties that MyKuali has come out with in cups. I was very surprised yesterday – happily so. They now have them at the 99 Ranch store near me – all of their pack range, the rice vermicelli bowls and the cup versions as well. Pretty surprised to see them actually – but it’s a good thing since it seems Malaysian flavors are really making a big punch into the outer world. ...see full post